Apostolic Fatherswriter
Who he was
- This is the name used by the author of the Shepherd of Hermas, a writing used by some early Christians alongside the books of the New Testament.
- It was one of the most popular books, if not the most popular book, of the Christian Church during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries.
- It is a collection of five Visions, twelve Mandates or Precepts dealing with the issue of repentance after Baptism, and ten Similitudes or parables as moral lessons taught by allegory.
- Hermas was not trained in dogma though he was of goodwill. We see that he was confused between the Son of God and the Holy Spirit (Compare similitude 9:1 with similitude 6:5).
What he wrote
- The early Church fathers admired him, not for his theological thought, but for his moral behavioral teaching and understanding of the Christian life.
- One ancient document identifies Hermas as the brother of Pius, a bishop of Rome who died ca. 154. - At least some parts of the Shepherd appear to have been written six decades earlier.